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Continued from page 5

NB: As a doctor I am not alone in being of the belief – call it opinion, if you care to – that the intake of chicken is one – among many – drivers of the continuing increase in meat intake, that, in turn, carries its load of fat and cholesterol. These do take their toll. The problem with chicken is that it is wrongly promoted as a healthful choice, so people now eat more of it than ever.

MT: You are from North Dakota, and you are no stranger to a meaty diet. I am assuming you grew up eating it, right?

(c) Jane Gray Morrison

NB: Every day of my life, it was roast beef, baked potatoes, and corn – except for special occasions, when we had roast beef, baked potatoes, and peas.

MT: Do you think it is realistic to ask people to make major changes in their eating habits?

NB: We have no choice. The previous generation tackled smoking. Now is the time to tackle our food issues. In my opinion, our collective eating habits are terrible for health and for the environment – and the animals are not so keen on any of it either.

MT: Neal, how many members of your organization are there? My point being, are you and your colleagues realistic, and what about the majority of Americans who truly disagree with you, not to mention American farmers, by and large, and America's food economy, especially during these really hard economic times?

NB: First of all, my grandfather was a farmer, his father was a farmer, and his father was, too. They were good and decent people. But income in agricultural families is higher than for other American families, so there is certainly no reason for a man driving a forklift to pity a man driving a tractor. Second, just as the tobacco industry has had to accommodate to what research has shown us, the same has to be true of the meat industry. Ignoring medical reality is not an option.

MT: OK. You've made your point: you feel, from a medical perspective the changes you and many of your colleagues in this country and around the world are suggesting, are neither uneconomical, draconian, or unrealistic. But how, in your opinion, do you make it work? I avoid, to the extent possible, any and all exploitation of animals, though I believe absolute non-violence is an ideal, but not necessarily possible, or not every day. And tolerance is definitely a virtue. I come from untold generations of heavy fish and meat eaters. I am not about to point the finger at my family or close friends, relatives and colleagues. So what does one do?

NB: I firmly believe that the trick to changing food habits is simply to break the process into steps.

MT: OK, that's logical.

NB: For a person who'd like to break away from animal products, the first step is just to size up your options. What can I have for breakfast that is not bacon and eggs?